page_title: Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
section_title: Symbolic and diplomatic roles
hierarchical_section_title: Nimitz-class aircraft carrier / Service history / Symbolic and diplomatic roles
caption_attribution_description: English: ANDAMAN SEA (Oct. 13, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is underway with the Royal Malaysian Navy frigates RMN Jebat (FF 29) and RMN Lekiu (FF 30) during a transit of the Andaman Sea. George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. Navy is constantly deployed to preserve peace, protect commerce, and deter aggression through forward presence. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jennifer A. Villalovos/Released)
context_page_description: The Nimitz class is a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. The lead ship of the class is named after World War II United States Pacific Fleet commander Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who was the second-to-last living U.S. Navy officer to hold the rank, preceding William Halsey Jr.. With an overall length of 1,092 ft and full-load displacement of over 100,000 long tons, the Nimitz-class ships were the largest warships built and in service until USS Gerald R. Ford entered the fleet in 2017.
  Instead of the gas turbines or diesel-electric systems used for propulsion on many modern warships, the carriers use two A4W pressurized water reactors which drive four propeller shafts and can produce a maximum speed of over 30 knots and maximum power of around 260,000 shaft horsepower. As a result of the use of nuclear power, the ships are capable of operating for over 20 years without refueling and are predicted to have a service life of over 50 years. They are categorized as nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and are numbered with consecutive hull numbers between CVN-68 and CVN-77.
context_section_description: Because of their status as the largest warships in the U.S. Navy, the deployment of an aircraft carrier can fulfill a symbolic role, not just in terms of a deterrent to an enemy, but often as a diplomatic tool, in strengthening relations with allies and potential allies. The latter of these functions can take place either as a single visit to a country, in which senior naval officers are allowed to observe the operating of the carrier and to interact with its senior officers, or as part of an international task force. This can be in combat operations, such as NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, or other deployments involving training, such as Exercise RIMPAC. In addition, carriers have participated in international Maritime security operations, combating piracy in the Persian Gulf and off the coast of Somalia.
caption: George Washington underway with the Royal Malaysian Navy Lekiu-class frigates KD Jebat and KD Lekiu during a transit of the Andaman Sea
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